Winning the “popular vote”
Charles Kozierok writing at the Huffington Post (which is far from being called a instrument of the right) has a interesting and well thought out post up about the flaws in the argument that a president who wins in the electoral college but that does not garner the majority of votes (i.e. “win the popular vote”) is illegitimate. Kozierok does this via a baseball analogy and by pointing out the rules of game (i.e. becoming president) are not based on the number of votes you win, but the number of states (and DC) that you win. One can debate the ideas behind the system, but that is how the rules are established and how the game is played.
The fact that people are already beginning to look at a tied electoral college where the decision on who is the next president would be decided by Congress just reinforces how tight and how dramatic this race could become. If the decision goes to Congress the national uproar will be AMAZINGLY loud. I am really hoping there is not a tie in the electoral college. Then you could have a person have the majority of votes, win half the states or so, and still not be president.
